Often sports stadiums are used for entertainment stages for music concerts or other live entertainment events. In such a case, a temporary entertainment stage is erected directly on the playing field of the sports stadium. However, a significant portion of the seating revenue is lost, because the stage stands in front of a number of seats of the stadium.
For example, in a football type of stadium, generally in an oval configuration, most of the seats in one of the end zones behind the goal posts are lost, since they face the rear of the entertainment stage. Likewise, in a generally diamond-shaped baseball stadium, if the entertainment stage is positioned between the pitcher's mound and the home plate area, all of the seats in what is considered “foul territory” behind home plate are unusable, since they also face the rear of the temporary entertainment stage. Furthermore, in an indoor basketball arena, such as Madison Square Garden in New York City, the temporary stage is set up in front of one of the end zones of seating sections behind one of the baskets.
This results in a significant loss of revenue to the concert promoters or the stadium management, since they cannot sell tickets in areas of the stadium seating where a view of the entertainment stage is blocked.
The positioning of the stage on a portion of a conventional athletic playing field is unavoidable, since the stadium seats cannot be moved.
This temporary positioning of the entertainment stage in a sports stadium is in contrast to permanent entertainment stages in indoor theaters, where the stage is recessed into one wall, and the viewing takes place along the entire perimeter of the inside of the theater, even including “side orchestra level” or “side balcony seats” with an angled, but viewable, view of the stage from the side.
Attempts have been made to rearrange whole sections of seats within a sports stadium, but not to accommodate the temporary replacement of the seats with an entertainment stage in their place.
For example, among prior art efforts in movable stadium seating modules include U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,406 of Staelin which describes in-fill stadium seating sections which can be temporarily moved back to accommodate handicap wheelchairs in place thereof.
The seating sections of Staelin '406 may remain unconnected to a stadium wall. However, the seats of Staelin '406 replace a small module of a small number of seats, with a couple of wheel chairs as desired. Such a small number of seats is not an efficient size for removing large numbers of seats. The extra effort of folding down the seats of Staelin '406 grants no advantage to moving large number of seats. To attempt to move the limited number of seats as in Staelin '406 as a rigid module in the open position would probably cause early wear and failure due to the foldable construction described in Staelin '406.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,357 of Deaton describes a stadium with movable modules of seats to change the playing field from a square baseball diamond shape to an oblong football field and vice versa. The seating modules are moved on rubber bladder pads. However, the seating section of Deaton '357 is a very large module of about 10,000 seat capacity. It is much too large to handle with a crane and trailer. To store off site, one would need a flat smooth hard floor and direct open access to a parking lot, to use the leaky rubber bladder pads of Deaton '357.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,921,032 and 5,7494,383, both of Labinski, describe connectable stadium seating systems. Both of the Labinski '032 and '383 patents are heavily into structure, stadium design, and sub-structure definition and are very light on details of how to move seating sections. In Labinski '383, it is obvious that sections are to be moved within the stadium, sometimes transversing the playing field. The lift or jack means mentioned are not incorporated into a mobile trailer.
Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 2,668,331 of Horn and U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,776 of Burkinshaw describe collapsible entertainment stages in general. Moreover, Applicants Scott Suprina and Tony English have a pending application Ser. No. 09/710,470 filed Nov. 9, 2000 for “Demountable Indoor/Outdoor Seating Systems Components” which describes fasteners for stadium seating seats and floor board decks, as well as guard rails and hand rails for stadium seating modules. That application including its text and drawing is incorporated by reference herein.
None of the prior art details methods of interchangeable movement of stadium seat sections or stage sections to and from a portable storage area outside, and in the vicinity of, an arena or stadium.